Cheltenham Betting / Simon Rowlands / 12 March 2009 / Leave a comment

Simon Rowlands reflects on a rare treat for racing fans on the penultimate day of the 2009 Cheltenham Festival.

It was not quite the script that some of us expected, or at least hoped for, but the World Hurdle duly served up a rare treat for racing fans on the Thursday of the Cheltenham Festival.

What had looked to be a three-way contest between Kasbah Bliss, Punchestowns and Big Buck's ended up a match between the last two, with Big Buck's prevailing after a thrilling set-to in the closing stages.

They were racing on the New Course, with more running and less jumping in the closing stages - as opposed to the Old Course on the first two days - and that, combined with ground that seemed slightly more testing and a good pace, made for a thorough test of stamina. Kasbah Bliss proved unequal to the test, being produced to challenge after the second-last but backpedalling soon after, but it was made to measure for Big Buck's.

The Paul Nicholls-trained winner hit a flat spot around three out, at which point Punchestowns pressed on, and had plenty to do going to the next. But he swept through to lead at the last and was even able to idle somewhat before scoring by a length-and-three-quarters. There were 17 lengths back to the third Powerstation, with Kasbah Bliss, on whom Christophe Pieux deserved none of the criticism that came his way from some quarters, only fourth.

There is little doubt that the first two are top-class, probably up there with Inglis Drever at his best and maybe even Baracouda, and they are both young enough as 6-year-olds to be around for some time yet. Kasbah Bliss might have let France down, but the first two were also bred in that country.

The name of Big Buck's in the history books wont please those, like me, who have an aversion to grocers apostrophes, but, hey, we are surely willing to forgive the horse at least in this instance!

The other Grade 1 on the card was the Ryanair Chase, which went to Imperial Commander by two lengths from Voy Por Ustedes and Schindlers Hunt (whose stamina seemed to give way at the very end). Voy Por Ustedes was not at his best, and it is quite possible that a blunder four out made a significant difference to him at a time at which the race was developing. Imperial Commander pressed on at that point and showed guts aplenty to see it out.

Three chases over 2m5f on the same card made for some interesting comparisons of overall times and closing sectionals. By a long way the fastest finisher of the trio of winners was Chapoturgeon in the Jewson Chase, the Paul Nicholls-trained gelding sweeping through from off the pace to score by 9 lengths and in a handy overall time for one of his ability. The Venetia Williams-trained pair of Something Wells and Ping Pong Sivola had it to themselves from two out in the Festival Plate, with the former all out to get past his gutsy front-running stablemate (who touched [1.41] in running).

It was a red-letter day for trainer Venetia Williams, who not only turned out the 1-2 in the Festival Plate but also the winner of the Pertemps Final earlier on the card with Kayf Aramis. The son of dyed-in-the-wool stayer Kayf Tara is a stamina glutton himself, and he kept battling away after taking up the running three out to hold off Buena Vista by two lengths.

Coolest winning ride of the day came not from Timmy Murphy, Aidan Coleman, Paddy Brennan, William Biddick, or even Ruby Walsh (whose World Hurdle success means he is just [1.03] to be top jockey of the week following five wins), but amateur Jamie Codd, who waited until well up the run-in before asking Character Building to take the concluding Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Handicap Chase. There were 10 in with a chance at the second-last, all of them matched at [10.0] or shorter at some stage of proceedings, before the winner and Pretty Star drew clear late on.

Character Building is a class act when on song and is now just [16.5] to back ante-post on Betfair for the Grand National at Aintree on April 4th. Punters also understandably liked the performance of Butlers Cabin (14 for the big one) in fifth.

Irish-trained horses drew a blank, in marked contrast to their fortunes on the first two days, and 8 to 10 winners for them for the week is now favourite on Betfair. Cumulative winning margins looked like going through the roof at one stage but 85 to 105 lengths inclusive is now preferred in the market again as a result of some close finishes (I calculate the make-up at 82.3 with one day left).

There is still plenty of opportunity to take an interest even if it is not on the races themselves, in other words. But what a day's racing is in store: the Triumph Hurdle, the Gold Cup, and a quintet of competitive supporting races. It will be Friday the 13th, but who is to say whether that will prove to be an unlucky date for backers or layers?!

Winner/Form Rating/(Sectional from 3 out chases, 2 out hurdles)
Chapoturgeon 148 (56.5 sec)
Kayf Aramis 135 (54.6 sec)
Imperial Commander 161 (60.7 sec)
Big Buck's 169 (55.2 sec)
Something Wells 151 (60.9 sec)
Character Building 146 (60.6 sec)